FAO drills farmers in e-marketing

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has trained farmers in Mzimba District on how to market their produce through social media platforms.

The training followed farmers’ outcry on lack of markets for their produce.

In an interview, FAO Mzimba South district manager Benjamin Mtika said using social media platforms in marketing will link farmers to markets.

“It is very expensive for farmers to find markets for their produce as they have to travel and spend on food and accommodation,” he said.

One of the trainers, Temwanani Luhanga, said social media is a powerful marketing tool that will enable farmers to be globally visible through the Internet.

On her part, a farmer from Emfeni, Lucy Msuku, said farmers were selling their produce cheaply due to lack of markets.

“We are happy that we will sell our produce at good prices when we identify good markets,” she said.

Luwerezi Extension Planning Area agriculture extension development coordinator Victor Mithi said the initiative will also ease communication among farmers and extension workers.

FAO is implementing Marketing Capacity Building Project for smallholder farmers in Mzimba and Kasungu districts with funding from the Government of Flanders.